Device for softening shoes



Le, .Zvue /7/7507':

F/N. sAvARD DEVICE FOR SOFTENING SHOES Filed Sep?I 15, 1922 July l5, 1924.

Patented `luly l5, 1924,

lrienivcors N. sirvenn, or Avon, MASSACHUSETTS.

UEVICE1'.EUR SOFTENI-NG? SHOES.

Application filed Septembery 15; i1922. Serial Now588rg437.-

To alll whom t may concern.'

Be it known that LlFRANoois N. Savane,

a citizeny of the lUnited States, residing aty Avon, in the county f Norfolk and State ofv Massachusetts, have invented :new5 andv-useful Improvements in Devices for S'OfteningA Shoes, ofwliiclil the following is a=specification.

This invention relates to tening port-ionsl of shoes, particularly box toes and has-for'fits'jobjectto provide heater through -tlie medium; ofwhichvthe toe port-ions of shoes and particularly the box' toe or stiener forlethe toe cap mayf be heated, and thereby softened preparatory to undergoing the lasting operation.

In the manufactureofvshoes at the-present time it is customary to'utilize artificially thenr pliable in order-that said toeiboXl-,Iutof gether 'with-'the -toe cap ,7 will; not rbreak or crack while being subjected to the unavoid ablestrains-'incidei-'it to the lasting operation.

'f also been used ibut, thegheat produced'by- I am aware: of numerous devices for. sofi teningshoes by' subjecting the same directly to the influence of 'hot vapor sut-:lil as steam, but devicesA of'this character tend to-,discolor land "otherwiseinjure certain 4classes' 'of leather, especially those employed in the construction oftan colored shoesiand certain other light colored leathers used in womens shoes. Devices employing electricheatfhave these devices is extremely dry and the-danger of injuring the leather by burning-andi alsoV from vre1novingftoo muchi ofthegnatural moisture contained in the Vleather vis too great to render these devices practical.

It fhas been demonstratedk that whereas Llive steam indirect contactwith; the leather is ofteninjurious,that-nevertheless as a constructed in such-a Amani'ier that' live steam may be indirectly employed` asthe vheating medium, the.. Vinduced -heatfradiating *from the device being so confinedy that portions. of'

a device for sofi' shoes -may be easily subj ected" to f and` influenced by a` qualityofheatwliich at=the saine time is neither-too dry ortooA moist and variousy portions ofi` said shoesare l LtherebyY rendered 'suiciently pliable to be easily lastedv witlfioutl danger' off being injured.

` `The invention consists in the combination and `arrangement' of parts; set fortlr in the following specification land particularlyl pointedout in the claims thereof.

1 Referring tothe drawings:

f Figure 1v represents lafront elevatioir of a device for softening shoes embodying-the invention. i-

i Fig. 2 is a transverse section `tafkenonfthe line 2-2of Fig. l; i

Like numerals refer to Allie'parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, 5 represents a casing constituting a heating unit'and'embodying therein a central body member 6 at-the 0p'- posite ends of which are fplates'? and SiA The raisingV 5 is'constructed inthe form o'fzan-Y inverted U and the interior thereof `const-itutefs a chamber for the lreception i of heating medium, preferably live-steam, which isfadinitted through a' ,pipe 10 atonefend of "saidV casing. The passage of'steanithroughthe pipe 1:0 into the .chamber `9 is controlled' a valve 11.k Discharge .orificesv 12aand: 13-are provided at the end of the leasing opposite the entrance pipe 1Q,-and1discliarge pipes 14 and 15 coimnunicate therewith for lthe purpose of carryingoif Ythe steaml orthev conr densation lt-lie'refrom. A valve 16 is'- pro# videdfor the pipe-15. ,i

i Theformation ofthe casing 5 is suclipas to 'provide a recessY 17 f iifthe underside thereof between vdowirwardly projecting por! tions 18 of said casing, and the plates 7 and 8 not only close the oppositeends'of the chamber 9, but the opposite ends of-'tlielrecess 17 as well.4 The recess17` isofsuflicient size andvform toreceive`A thetoeportions ofa plurality of shoes 19 as `illustrated inFig. SZ; the-latter being inz theY processfof construction, each shoey being-locatedfupon a last :2Q.""l`he casing Q5 is mounted Aupon a suitable fram`e121 emloodyingy vthereinflegs 22l and is ltjqepedj at afslight aTigle upon said frameto facilitate the inser-tiohandA removal ofthe shoes ,to and from -thefrecess 17.

` Meansare 1 provided `for supporting the neath the casing 5 is a shelf 23, the upper surface of which is provided with longitudinally extending strips 24 forming corrugations provided for the purpose of preventing the shoe from slipping upon said shelf and also for providing a means for positioning the heel portion of said shoe thereon. The shelf 23 is preferably inclined at a slight angle to a horizontal plane and rests upon angular supporting members 25 which are adjustable vertically upon the legs 22, and said members are held in position upon said legs by bolts 26 which pass through slots 27 provided in said legs. The inclination of the shelf 23 i moreover may be changed if desired, by adjusting the height of the forward and rear supporting members 25 relatively to each other. All sizes of shoes may, therefore, be supported upon the shelf 23 beneath the casing 5 and treated within the passage 17 and the distance to which said shoes may project within said recess is determined by the position of the heel portion of said shoe upon the shelf 23and the height of said shelf upon the frame 21. Tie rods 28 and 29 are provided to reinforce the legs 22 on the frame 21.

The general operation of the device is as follows In preparing the shoes for lasting after the upper of the shoe 19 has been pulled over the last 2O and it is ready to be operated upon by the lasting machine, the shoe is placed upon the shelf 23 with the toe portion thereof projecting into the recess 17 of the casing 5, there being sufficient space provided for a plurality of said shoes to be placed upon said shelf and rest thereon side by side. kThe shelf 23 is located in an inclined position, the inclination of which may be changed as desired by adjusting the angular supporting members 25, and the height of said shelf relatively to the casing 5 may also be adjusted in a similar manner. The strips or corrugations 24 provided upon the upper surface of the shelf 23 are utilized to position the heel portion of the shoes upon said shelf and also to prevent said shoes from slipping thereon, andthe distance to which the toe portion ofthe shoes may project into the recess 17 is determined by the position of the heel portion of the shoe upon the shelf 23. Steam admitted to the chamber 9 heats the walls of the casing 5, and the radiated heat which is confined within the recess 17 because of the position and form of said recess acts upon the toe portion of the shoe and particularly upon the toe box thereof, and after the toe portion of the shoe has been within the recess a sufficient length of time for said toe boX to be rendered pliable, said shoe is withdrawn and subjected to the lasting operation without danger of injuring the toe port-ion of the shoe.

It has been found while performing the lasting operation upon shoes that have been treated by the device hereinbefore described that it is not necessary to hurry the lasting operation in order to complete the same before the toe box cools, as shoes treated without employing heated moisture remain pliable longer because the material does not cool as quickly, and therefore the operative is given plenty of time to properly perform the lasting operation.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising7 in combination, a U-shaped heating` iuiit provided with a U-shaped chamber for a heating medium located within the interior thereof and a recess in the side thereof and means to support a shoe with a portion thereof projecting into said recess.

2. A devifce of the character described comprising, in combination, a U-shaped heating unit provided with a U-shaped chamber for a yheating medium located within the interior thereof and a recess in the side thereof, and means to support a shoe with a portion thereof projecting into said recess, said shoe support being adjustably mounted so as to vary the distance between the same and said heating unit.

3. A device of the character described comprising, in combination, a heating unit provided with a chamber for a heating rnedium located within the interior thereof and a recess in the side thereof, and a support for a shoe located adjacent to said heating unit, said shoe support being adjustably mounted so as to vary the distance between the same and said heating unit and also to incline said support at an angle to a horizontal plane.

4. A device of the character described comprising, in combination, a heating unit provided with a chamber for a heating medium located within the interior thereof and a recess in the side thereof, means to support a shoe with a portion thereof projecting into said recess, said shoe support being adjustably mounted so as to vary the distance between the same and said heating unit and means whereby the heel portion of said shoe may be positioned and prevented from slipping longitudinally thereof upon said support.

5. A device of the character described comprising, in combination, a heating unit provided with a 'chamber fora heating medium located within the interior thereof and a recess in the side thereof, a support vfor a shoe located adjacent to said heating unit, and adjustably mounted so as to vary the distance between said support and said heating unit and also to incline said support at an angle to a horizontal plane and means whereby the heel portion of said shoe may be positioned and prevented from slipping longitudinally thereof upon said support.

6. A device of the character described comprising, in combinaton, a heating unit provided with a chamber for a heating medium located within the interior thereof and a recess in the side thereof, and a support for a shoe located adjacent to said heating unit and adjustably mounted so as to vary the distance between said support and said heating unit and also to incline said support at an angle to a horizontal plane, said support being provided with a corrugated upper surface to prevent a slice from slipping thereon.

7. A device of the character described comprising, in combination, a U-shaped `casing provided with a recess in a sidethereof and having a U-shaped steam chamber lo' cated within the interior thereof, means to conduct steam to said chamber, said steam within said chamber being segregated from said recess and means to support a shoe with a portion thereof projecting into said recess.

8. A device of the character described comprising, in combination, a casing provided with a recess in the underside thereof and having a steam chamber located within the interior thereof, means to conduct ste-am to said chamber, said ,steam within said chamber being segregated from said recess, and a support for a shoe located beneath said `casing and adjustably mounted so as to vary the distance between said support and said casing and also to incline said support at an angle to a horizontal plane.

k9. AI device of the character described comprising, in combination, a casing provided with a recess in the underside thereof, and having a steam chamber located within the interior thereof, means to 'conduct steam to said chamber, said steam within said chamber being segregated from said recess and a support for a shoe located beneath said casing and adjustably mounted so asto Vary the distance between said support and said casing and also to incline said support at an angle to a horizontal plane, said support being provided with a corrugated upper surface to prevent a shoe fro-m slipping thereon.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Y FRANCOIS N. SAVARD.

Witnesses:

FRANKLIN E. LOW, HAZEL F. LA MUDGE. 

